The highly anticipated on-campus workout of USC quarterback Matt Barkley finally took place on Wednesday.

The school that boasts 1938 Heisman Trophy winner Davey O’Brien, future Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson and the incomparable Sammy Baugh as its most notable football alumni has returned to prominence under coach Gary Patterson.

Will Cincinnati Bengals wideout A.J. Green rebound after his sub-par performance last week?

After Ray Rice dubbed his now infamous 4th-and-29-play “Hey Diddle Diddle Ray Rice Up The Middle,” we thought it’d be fun to parody some other iconic nursery rhymes to tell the best stories of Week 12. Check out the list below:

You’ve heard this before, but this is why you always play your studs. Calvin Johnson has led the world this season in being tackled at the 1-yard line. No, seriously. Elias passed along this note before the start of NFL Fantasy Live on Sunday which said Megatron had been tackled at the 1-yard line after four of his catches. And each time, the Lions ran the ball in each time, and did not go to Johnson.

Andy Dalton says he takes more of an active role in practice in his second season.

For Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, one year removed from an NFL lockout that froze offseason activities, there’s nothing more valuable than a little face time with his young QB, Andy Dalton.

A few observations after the AFC ran away with the 2012 Pro Bowl, 59-41:

With Peyton Maning not around to break in the newest Pro Bowlers, the practical joking has taken a backseat to sun tanning and paddle boarding …for now.

NFL players will be allowed to tweet during the Pro Bowl. Here are some dos and don’ts for the week.

When you compare the Texans–Bengals and Giants-Falcons games, they are very much the opposite of one another. Any way you look at it, both add up to great matchups for Wild Card weekend.

As suspected, Calvin Johnson’s absence from practice Wednesday was nothing out of the ordinary. Fantasy owners should feel confident giving him a start.

When Cam Newton was taken No. 1 overall in April, all eyes were focused on him. Analysts wanted to know whether he was just a one-year wonder at Auburn, a product of a spread system, an athlete with only a slight grasp of the passing game. Throughout the 2011 season, with every “Superman” celebration, after 26 touchdowns, he has proven those questions to be mute.

With the strength of the AFC residing in the North this season, it’s no surprise our Pro Bowl picks come predominantly from that division.

On Sunday, we saw five rookie quarterbacks try and bring their teams back from behind – and failed. Nonetheless, they continued to make strides in their NFL journey.